Presenting on “Adhesion of Cations and Multivalent Cationic Macromolecules to the Glycocalyx”.

James D. Sterling, PhD, Vice Provost and Founding Dean of Kummer College of Innovation, Entrepreneurship, and Economic Development at Missouri S&T, will speak on Thursday, February 5, 2026 at 10:00 am in Whitaker 218.

Abstract: The molecular compositions present at cell surfaces are studied using three models of neutralizing cations: monovalent ions, divalent ions, and multivalent cationic polymers. The principle of electroneutrality is emphasized with contributions due to electrostatics, ion-pairing, and hydration effects. Computational all-atom simulations of anionic polymer brushes of heparin or hyaluronic neutralized by sodium or potassium are used to quantify these effects. Experimentally, these effects are explored using ionically-crosslinked alginate hydrogels, cationic polymer binding to either immobilized oligosaccharide arrays of glycosaminoglycans (GAGs) or binding to mobile GAGs to form biocondensates. Finally, cationic polymer binding to human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC) is reported. Derivatized chitosan polymers with varied cationic side chains exhibit differential binding affinities and cellular association, with guanidinium-containing polymers showing enhanced interaction with endothelial cells expressing a mature glycocalyx. The findings elucidate the mechanisms by which cationic polymers traverse the glycocalyx and highlight the potential of considering the glycocalyx in the design of polymer systems for targeted drug delivery applications.

Bio: Dr. James Sterling is Vice Provost and Founding Dean of the Kummer College of Innovation, Entrepreneurship, and Economic Development. He joined Missouri S&T in 2024 from the Keck Graduate Institute in Claremont, California, which is a member of the Claremont Colleges. He joined KGI as a founding faculty member in 2000 and served many roles including vice president for academic affairs and dean of the faculty, director of the professional sciences master’s degree program, director of the school’s intellectual property and technology transfer committee and director of its Ph.D. program. Sterling’s research interests include life science laboratory automation, microfluidics, nucleic acid diagnostics, glycobiology and biophysics. He earned a BS from Texas A&M and a Ph.D. from the California Institute of Technology in mechanical engineering. From 2013 to 2015, he joined the Minerva Schools at KGI, serving as the founding interim dean of the College of Natural Sciences and director of Minerva Labs. Sterling also co-founded and currently chairs the board of directors of Claremont BioSolutions, a life-science tools company focusing on nucleic acid sample preparation and point-of-use diagnostics.

In-person attendance is preferred. Registration to attend virtually is required.